can you tour the gibson factory in bozeman montana

Visit the Gibson Factory in Bozeman Montana

Visit the Gibson Factory in Bozeman Montana . For over 128 years, Gibson has shaped the sound of music with their handcrafted American-made guitars played by some of music’s most renowned artists.

Gibson Acoustic Guitars’ Bozeman manufacturing facility, employing skilled artisans who craft their iconic acoustic guitar collections, recently announced an expansive expansion to meet increased demand.

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Is gibson still giving tours in the gibson factory in bozeman montana.

At this moment (Oct 2023), we know Gibson is not offering Factory Tours in Bozeman. To our knowledge, Gibson has yet to start delivering them again.

Please consider this article a virtual tour of the Gibson factory in Bozeman.

The Gibson Factory in Bozeman, Montana

The Gibson Guitar Corporation is an American company that manufactures acoustic guitars and other musical instruments. With more than a century of experience, the brand is renowned for its superior craftsmanship.

The company is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, but also maintains a manufacturing facility in Bozeman, Montana, where many of its acoustic guitars are created. Over 100 full-time employees use traditional techniques and modern manufacturing processes on custom-built machinery to craft some of the world’s iconic Gibson acoustic guitars, such as the J-45, Hummingbird, and Dove models.

Gibson Acoustic Guitars takes pride in the attention to detail and quality control they put into every acoustic guitar it produces, with each step overseen by a team of workers dedicated to crafting the finest instrument possible.

In addition to acoustic guitar models, Gibson produces several electric ones here. These guitars utilize machining processes similar to acoustic models but with greater attention to detail and quality control than most of their counterparts.

In addition to acoustic guitars, the Gibson Factory in Bozeman, Montana, also manufactures other music products like bass guitars and drum kits. Although these guitars are more expensive than those sold elsewhere, they are all of exceptional quality – making the extra expense worthwhile.

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The Gibson Factory in Bozeman, Montana, is the birthplace of some of the world’s most beloved acoustic guitars. Some of the finest luthiers craft each instrument meticulously – from sanding, assembly, and binding raw wood to painting, buffing, and tuning each guitar.

In this episode of “The Process,” Robi Johns (Senior Product Development Manager, Gibson Acoustic) and Don Ruffatto (Product Development Manager, Gibson Acoustic) take viewers through the initial steps in crafting these unique acoustic guitars in a factory that does more handwork than any other major manufacturer. These guitars boast an authentic sound from carefully chosen tonewoods that improve with age; each dovetail neck joint is fitted by hand.

Bozeman, Montana, marked the beginning of Gibson’s flat-top guitar revival in the eyes and minds of artists, dealers, and fans alike. Bozeman’s dry climate made it ideal for acoustic guitar production – providing plenty of inspiration to artists, dealers, and enthusiasts alike.

After several years in Kalamazoo and Nashville, Gibson relocated their acoustic guitar division to Bozeman in 1987. As their manufacturing facility expanded rapidly, Gibson decided to more than double their Bozeman acoustic guitar factory and add a custom shop and showroom for better customer service.

For over 119 years, the Gibson acoustic guitar has been a mainstay in music. Notable artists that have featured its classic sound include Slash, Jimmy Page, Sheryl Crow, and Luke Combs – to name a few!

Due to a surge in demand for acoustic guitars during the COVID-19 lockdown pandemic, Gibson responded by investing in an expansion that more than doubled their facility size. The new 25,000-square-foot addition will create between 100 and 200 jobs.

This expansion includes additional manufacturing space, a more extensive machine shop, enhanced custom shop capabilities, and an artist showroom commemorating Gibson’s 119-year handcrafted acoustic guitar heritage. This modernized facility will enable Gibson to produce more acoustic guitars without compromising quality standards.

Visit the Gibson Factory in Nashville

The Custom Shop

The Gibson Factory in Bozeman, Montana, is home to skilled artisans who continue the company’s legendary tradition of acoustic excellence. Utilizing dovetail neck joints, hide glue, domed tops, and nitrocellulose lacquer. They craft guitars that will last years of playing and show their age gracefully over time.

The Custom Shop at Gibson is a highly sought-after division, with many people visiting to have their dream guitar built from the ground up. Whether you want to recreate an artist’s piece or have your beloved Gibson reissued with updated specs, the Custom Shop is the place for it all.

In addition to offering new Gibson guitars, The Custom Shop also carries an extensive selection of other musical products. Plus, visitors are welcomed on guided tours through their factory to learn how guitars are constructed.

Experience the custom shop firsthand on Gibson TV with Robi Johns and Don Ruffatto as they take you through the initial steps of crafting acoustic guitars at their famous factory.

Guitarists worldwide have played Gibson acoustic guitars for over a century, helping define music genres such as folk strummers and hard rock ballads. From folk to hard rock ballads, these instruments have shaped generations of guitarists and still do today.

As one might expect, multiple steps are involved in crafting a Gibson acoustic guitar. Each step must be meticulously done for an instrument that sounds as beautiful as it looks – an exacting process!

The initial step in building a guitar is carefully selecting the wood. Once chosen, it’s carefully cut into the desired shape before being glued on top and polished until perfect. Finally, multiple coats of nitro-cellulose lacquer are sprayed over everything – this requires several passes with great skill before each coat cures between each application.

It can be a long, laborious process that takes much time and energy; however, the outcomes are well worth all the trouble.

Once an acoustic guitar is finished, it undergoes a final inspection and tuning by a Gibson employee before being packed up and sent off to musicians worldwide.

Gibson acoustic guitars are known for their impeccable craftsmanship, which is one of the reasons why so many artists choose Gibson to craft their instruments.

Gibson plans to expand their Bozeman, Montana, acoustic factory to meet growing demand. This expansion will create between 100 and 200 additional jobs. Read this  news article by Gibson .

Gibson also manufactures electric guitars at its Bozeman facility, in addition to  acoustic models . These include Les Paul, SG, Flying V, and Explorer models.

Currently, Gibson is no longer offering guided tours in Bozeman, Montana.

The Legendary Sound of Gibson Guitars

3 thoughts on “Visit the Gibson Factory in Bozeman Montana”

To Whom it may concern, I’m planning a trip to Bozeman, MT. to visit your Gibson Acoustic Guitar factory. Please tell me What days of the week and what hours you are open. If you need reservations I need information so my son and I can visit your factory around June 8th. Please let me know ASAP. Thank You.

Russ Caddell Text: 360-239-0631 Email: [email protected]

I will have out-of-town family visiting the weekend of June 17-18. Is it possible to book a tour of the Bozeman Gibson facility? Please let me know soon.

Better yet, email [email protected] with the correct information. Thank you.

Hello, guitarist I’m holding a SJ200 bob Dylan and an ES335. I love Gibson and I’ll be in Bozeman on September 11, 2024 on a trip. I would like to visit the factory, would it be possible?

cordially a French lover of guitars and USA

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A Visit To The Gibson Factory in Bozeman, Montana

by Rick Moore September 2, 2019, 8:43 am

Gibson Guitars are often thought of as a Tennessee brand, since so many Gibson instruments, and products of Gibson-owned Epiphone, are manufactured in that state. So it may come as a surprise to some that Gibson’s acoustic guitars are actually hand-built in the fairly remote city of Bozeman, Montana, not far from Yellowstone National Park.

More than 100 full-time workers are employed at the Bozeman factory, which originally opened its doors in 1989. Since then the facility has been the site of acoustic and acoustic-electric guitar manufacturing exclusively. Much of the manufacturing process there is skillfully done by hand and aided by custom machinery set to seemingly impossibly low tolerances to produce accurate neck lengths and fret heights in achieving perfect intonation for each instrument. The factory is strategically laid out for optimal efficiency and speed in the manufacturing process, actually using some of the equipment that was used at the original Gibson location of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Virtually all of the rest of the equipment is manufactured in-house by the company’s own die and jig makers and other machine designers and builders.

Machinery can only do so much, though, and the human touch is needed when creating what some people consider a piece of art as much as a musical instrument. After the backs, sides, necks, fretboards and other parts of the guitars, made of raw woods including walnut, Indian rosewood, and Hawaiian koa are machined, skilled craftsmen and craftswomen meticulously perform delicate trim work by hand. Sanding, drilling, painting and more, they produce the finished components of a variety of guitars, including the J-45, J-200, and the company’s new G-45 Series and Sheryl Crow Country Western Supreme models.

The final assembly leads to an inspection where guitars are examined for even the most minute flaws, and any irregularities lead to the guitar being returned to the department where that issue originated for reconciliation. The ultimate result is the shipment of guitars that continue the reputation of an iconic brand of instruments that has been heard on countless legendary recordings since recording was in its infancy.

Some Gibson Bozeman employees have worked at the plant for decades, carrying on a tradition of instrument building that Orville Gibson began in Kalamazoo in 1894, and that has existed in southwest Montana for decades. Gibson’s other manufacturing facilities include Gibson USA and Gibson Custom, both located in Nashville, Tennessee.

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Factory Tour: Gibson Montana’s Acoustic Guitars

Posted on Jun 07, 2011 by Adam Baine

Robert Johnson.  Woody Guthrie.  George Harrison.  Elvis Presley.  Pete Townshend.  Bob Dylan. The list of players who have made deep impressions on contemporary music using a Gibson acoustic guitar is long, and star studded.  Just as long is the road from early 20th century Kalamazoo, Michigan to Bozeman, Montana, where Gibson’s acoustic guitars were reborn in 1989 to carry on the proud tradition.  The Music Zoo recently toured the Bozeman plant, and saw just how much handwork and tradition goes into making each flattop Gibson.  (hint: a lot ).  Join us as we take an up close look at the inner workings of this surprisingly old-school guitar factory.

First, a little history.  Although Gibson had already mastered archtop acoustic guitar production by the 1910s, the company didn’t see the need to make a flattop guitar until 1926, when the L1 appeared.  This early Gibson flattop lacked a truss rod, had rigid cross bracing within its small body, and came off as more of a beginner’s guitar than a real contender.  But over the next ten years, and despite the Great Depression, Gibson learned exactly what it took to produce world class flattop acoustic guitars.  The models designed and executed during this period include the Advanced Jumbo and the legendary SJ-200.  Just a few years later, during WWII, Gibson rolled out the J-45 and the Southern Jumbo, all are classics today.  By the 1960s, Gibson had introduced popular models such as the Hummingbird, Dove, J-160 and J-185.  Gibson had done something quite special by then, having made all at once some of the world’s finest flattop acoustic guitars, solid body electric guitars, archtop guitars, and of course mandolins and banjos.  But this bounty of success would not last completely uninterrupted.  Production techniques designed to increase profit rather than tone infected all the guitars in the 1970s, and by the early ’80s the once famous Gibson acoustic guitars had hit a dead end.

But there was hope.

Word got through to Gibson’s new ownership (who were players themselves) that there was a small group of luthiers in Montana making fantastic mandolins under the name of Flatiron.  Originally thought of as a smart acquisition for mandolin production, it soon became obvious that Bozeman, Montana could be the place where the defunct Gibson acoustic guitar line could be revived.   A new facility was created, employees were gathered and trained, and the first handmade Gibson acoustic in many years was produced in 1989.

All guitars start with the raw materials, and here we see Gibson’s cadre of tone woods.  That’s a lot of spruce, maple, and rosewood.  One thing that was reinforced to us as we took the tour was how improved the routing was that a guitar would take as it made it’s way from raw materials to the shipping box.  In the last few years changes made to the layout of the stations a guitar visits along the way have cut hundreds of feet out of this journey, greatly improving efficiency.

The very first step we saw involves arguably the most important part of the acoustic instrument: the top.  It all starts with gluing two matching pieces together to create a strong and resonant structure.  Here we see a Mahogany top after it has been glued.

After the tops have been glued, they need to be sanded.  That’s where these guys come in.  Loaded with huge reels of sandpaper, the operator can choose between different grits depending on the application.  Looks like 80, 100, and 120 grit are loaded up here.

Here’s where the sanded tops come out of the sanding machine.  The rubber conveyor belt is perforated and has powerful suction, keeping the tops from moving as they pass underneath the spinning sandpaper belts.

This worker is about to route the soundhole in the freshly sanded top.  At some other factories we’ve been to, this step may have been performed by a laser guided machine, but at Gibson it’s still done by hand.

Like the tops, the backs are bookmatched and joined together.  Here’s the union of some gorgeous quilted maple.

There are some hi-tech operations happening in Bozeman.  Here a computer controlled router is shaping a neck all the way down to the heel.  A real human builder may fine tune the neck shape by hand later on, but having the machine do the heavy lifting here creates accuracy and consistency.

Here’s the result, perfect every time.

These rosewood pieces will be used to create the sides of the guitars.  They use a different shape depending on whether the guitar will have a cutaway or not.

The wood used for the sides is first soaked in water and then pressed into shape using the electric presses seen here.

If a side needs a little extra help in the middle, this manually operated press will do the job.  Many of the machines used today in Bozeman were actually built by Gibson many decades ago.

Here’s how they sand the sides, front and back, at the same time.  The operator on this station needs to be careful to use feel to get the right pressure on the sander as the pieces pass through the roller.

These sides, maple in the foreground, rosewood behind, are ready to go.

Putting it all together.  Here we see that the sides have been joined together and the neck block and the tail blocks are installed, as well as the kerfing.  The kerfing is the flexible wood strips that line the top and bottom of the sides, and is responsible for creating a tight fit between all the major body components.

Because the kerfing plays such a crucial role in the structure, it’s important to get it glued on tight.  Here the kerfing is clamped down around the perimeter of the sides.

Here’s a closer look at the kerfing after it’s been glued in.  It’s lined up perfectly with the sides and will yield a rock solid fit with the top of the guitar.

Speaking of the top, here’s a view that you don’t usually see.  The back of the top has carefully placed cross bracing to aid in the strength of the top.  If you look closely you can see that the braces have been scalloped as well.  Scalloped bracing allows a top to vibrate and pump air at a higher velocity, as well as allowing Gibson Luthiers to fine tune the resonant tones produced by the top. Almost every Gibson Acoustic guitar is built with scalloped bracing as a standard feature, a feature that is most often an expensive addition in other brands of acoustic guitars.

These bodies are now assembled structurally.  The rough edges and assist tabs that are still there will be trimmed and sanded soon, and to us this shows how old school the Bozeman factory still is.  This could be a scene from the 1950s.

Here the body has been routed on the edge for binding.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: we love some wood binding.  Here the wood on the edge has been matched with a nice black/white/black strip of plastic binding for a beautiful finishing touch.  A lot of tape holds the binding on tight while the glue dries.

Here’s a better look at the guitar with the sweet wood binding; it’s a custom order with a beautiful Native American inlay down the back.

Resting guitar bodies that are finished and still taped up with binding tape.  This shot illustrates that Gibson is making a variety of guitar models by hand every day.  It’s not an endless rack of identical guitars, it’s a real hands on workshop.  We got the impression while we were there that the locals who work in the Bozeman plant really do take a lot of pride in what they do.  They know that they are restoring some glory to a proud tradition of American acoustic guitar building through again making the Gibsons as good or better than any time in their 117 year history.

Here’s another automated process.  This robotic router is carving the famous Gibson headstock shape.

After the headstock has been shaped, the logo and inlay can be installed.

The fretboard.  Gibson will fret and finish these as a unit before installation on the guitar.

Here’s the manual press used for installing the frets.  It doesn’t really get much more old school that this; the builder must use just the right pressure to seat the fretwire perfectly.  A lot of feel goes into doing this right on this manual press.

Sorted and ready to go, these fretboards will soon find their ultimate home on the guitar neck.

When it is time to glue the fretboard to the neck, these guide holes are used.  Using a dowel, this is how they guarantee the board will be in the exact right spot on the neck.

Innovation is encouraged in the workshop in Bozeman.  Here, we see the neck (face down) being glued to the fingerboard.  Because the fingerboard has a radius, it was a challenge to get the boards pressed onto the neck evenly with a conventional press.  One worker had the idea of using a piece of inflated firehose (seen just behind the red ball) inside the press to contour itself to the curved shape of the back of the neck and apply more even pressure to the fingerboard.  It works great and the firehose can take a massive amount of pressure before failing.

The all important neck fit is about to take place, but first the neck has to be fine tuned to fit perfectly with the body.  Here’s a worker sanding the neck heel.  Getting the neck fit and angle just right is one of the key jobs of building the entire guitar, as a compound dovetail neck joint must be final fit by hand. With margin for error of less than 1 degree, the fit must be perfect in order for the guitar to sound and play correctly.

The neck fit was a success, and now the fingerboard will be masked off for protection.  The guitar is about to be completely sanded in preparation for paint.

This crew of workers are all sanding the finished guitars before they head off to the paint booth.  It is a busy place, the pace was quick and determined.

Assembled, sanded, and ready to move to get some color.  Note the plastic tub installed inside the soundhole in order to prevent overspray from entering the guitar body.

By the afternoon, most of the spraying of lacquer has been done already so we didn’t get to see any actual spraying, but we did see this moving conveyor line of guitars as they dried.  This is similar to a system we saw in Nashville in the Custom Shop and USA plants.

Here’s a sunburst finish just sprayed.  It hasn’t yet been polished to the high gloss finish, and is as fresh as paint gets.  Notice how the binding is actually covered up by the paint.  Next, it will be carefully scraped away.

This is one of the most specialized jobs in the whole plant.  Using a microscope slide, this worker is scraping away the paint on top of the binding.  One wrong move and it’s game over for this paint job.  Scraping the binding is a Gibson tradition going back decades.  We’re amazed at her steady hand and perfect result.

We have to stop and mention Ren Ferguson.  Ren is the master luthier at Bozeman and is responsible for some true works of art that have come from there.  He unfortunately wasn’t there that day, but we got to see his workshop and some of his recent projects.

A gorgeous, intricate combination of wood and binding on this guitar Ren was busy with.

Ren has some very talented apprentices who work alongside him, one of whom is skilled at woodburning.  Here’s a great example of a woodburned pickguard for a custom order.

Another very cool woodburned pickguard.

Moving back out into the plant, there are only a few steps left before we’ll see a completely finished Gibson guitar.  Here a worker is using an orbital sander and a lot of water to wet sand the finish on this guitar.

Finally the bridge is installed onto the top using high strength glue.  This guitar will soon be ready to string up!  The finish below the bridge is removed prior to glue up allowing the bridge to connect directly with the raw wood in the top of the guitar.

The buffing room.  It takes a lot of strength and endurance to do this all day.  The buffing wheels require a careful touch or else the paint can burn, and the speed at which they spin can easily knock the guitar to the floor, destroying the guitar. These expert Buffers seldom if ever lose an instrument.

It was neat seeing box after box of those familiar Gibson tuning machines.  In this assembly room the guitars will get the tuning hardware, the nut, strings, and an expert setup to highly specific Gibson tolerances.

At long last, the steel meets the wood.  Intonation, action and neck angle will all be double checked here.  This John Lennon J-160E is so close!

Final inspection.  We imagine this guy has one of the best jobs in the place, he gets to play them all!  Once it’s tuned up it goes into the case and right around the corner, where the stock room is.

Demand for Gibson Montana guitars is worldwide. This stock room fills up every day, and will empty out every day shipping to countries around the world.

These guitars are boxed up and ready to ship.  In keeping with the organization and flow within the building, this part of the plant is on the other end of the route from the raw wood, where we started.  Once they go out this door, it’s onto the truck and then to The Music Zoo!  We were deeply impressed with the level of handcrafting and skill that goes into making every one of these new Gibson Montana acoustic guitars.  Special thanks to Gibson’s Don Ruffatto for graciously hosting our tour and visit.

• Tags : acoustic guitars , Acoustics , Factory Tours , Gibson

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Take an audio tour of the Gibson Guitar Factory in Bozeman

Lia Mendez: Hello, friends. It's Leah, and today I'd like to bring you along on a little field trip. Now, if you happened to forget your permission slip, that's okay, because this is one field trip you can attend from wherever you happen to be listening right now. So sit back, get comfortable, and prepare to be whisked away on an adventure through the magic of radio.

Last week, I was lucky enough to attend the grand opening of the newly expanded Gibson Acoustic Guitar Factory in Bozeman, Montana, where people use their hands to turn trees into music. The voice you hear singing belongs to Amanda Stewart, a musician based right here in Bozeman. She's warming up in order to welcome all of the people who are here tonight to celebrate the expansion of the Gibson Acoustic Guitar Factory, which has been making some of the finest acoustic guitars in the world since 1989. Some of the instruments produced by the people working here will go on to be played by world famous musicians.

But wherever these guitars end up, one thing is for certain. An incredible amount of care and skill go into making every single one. My tour guide today is Patrick Hanson, the quality manager at Gibson Acoustic. Patrick is going to take me behind the scenes and lead me through the different parts of the factory so that I can see the whole process that turns a sheet of wood into a glistening guitar.

Lia Mendez: "I'm loving these Star Trek doors."

Lia Mendez: We first set foot into the restored apartment where woods like mahogany, maple, walnut and rosewood arrive to be processed. As you may have guessed, this area is a little noisy.

Lia Mendez: "And golly, there is a lot of noise in here, and it smells like sawdust."

Patrick Hanson: "It does. It does. So every one of our guitars is made with very thin panels. These aren't electric guitars, they're acoustics. So what we do is essentially made a curved wooden box, out of very thin pieces of wood, and then we glue a neck on it, and then we're going to put strings on it and color lacquer and all that fancy stuff, make it real shiny and nice so people can play it."

Lia Mendez: I ask Patrick, how many guitars are produced each day at the Gibson Acoustic Craftery?

Patrick Hanson: "There's a lot of steps. Typically, it takes about two weeks for the guitar building process, so it's going to be around ten hours of direct labor to make one."

Lia Mendez: Patrick says that those ten hours of human labor don't include the dry time for glue or lacquer. So the whole process of building a guitar from start to finish takes about two weeks, which makes it all the more impressive that workers here produce about 100 guitars each day. And according to Patrick, they're still not making guitars fast enough to keep up with demand. Gibson's J45 model guitar is the number one selling acoustic guitar in the whole world. From the re-saw department, the wooden panels are glued together to form a guitar shaped box. It's here that the guitar really begins to take shape.

Patrick Hanson: "This is what we call the back shot. So this is where we do the actual construction of the instrument."

Lia Mendez: Every step along the way there are dozens of people, men and women, focused on different tasks that help bring these guitars to life.

Lia Mendez: "Does every person have their own specialty or do people cross-train and do different jobs?"

Patrick Hanson: "We constantly cross-train, so we want people to be able to move around for a lot of diversity. The last thing we want to have is people at a bench doing the same thing over and over and over for a long period of time."

Lia Mendez: Patrick tells me there are about 114 different processes that go into making just one guitar. That's only a few steps less than what it takes to build a locomotive.

Patrick Hanson: It's pretty amazing. And they're made out of wood and they're handmade. Outside of a C&C carving the neck, everything's done by hand. They're hand sanded, they're hand shaped, they're hand glued. All the measurements are taken by hand. It's pretty amazing. These people really know what they're doing. They're really good at what they do.

Lia Mendez: Once the neck is glued to the guitar body, the finishing process begins.

Patrick Hanson: "So everything gets about nine to ten coats of lacquer and it's ready for sanding and polishing after that."

Lia Mendez: This is where the paint and color are applied. And where Gibson's signature hand sprayed bursts are applied by expert painters. Patrick says this is the style that Gibson is most famous for. Maybe you can picture it, the gradual transition from dark to light so that the body of the guitar looks like it's bursting with light.

Patrick Hanson: "We do have some solid colors, but we really specialize in those bursts and we're really proud of it because we do them all by hand."

Lia Mendez: After finishing, binding is applied. Patrick says that likes the sprayers who paint the bursts, this is one of those highly skilled jobs that requires a very steady hand to apply a perfectly straight line with surgical precision on every top, every back and every rib of every guitar. It takes a lot of training and a lot of practice for someone to get to the point where they can perform this task exactly right every time.

Lia Mendez: "I'm starting to understand why it's called a craftery and not a factory, there's a lot of human hands and handiwork that goes into this."

Patrick Hanson: "A ton. We pride ourselves on the amount of handwork that we do in Bozeman. It's really amazing. A lot of companies may make their guitars using machines, we don't do that. We like to stick with our tradition."

Lia Mendez: Patrick says that with the exception of a few modernizations, they have maintained the classic process of crafting a Gibson acoustic guitar that originated almost 130 years ago.

Next up, the lacquer room. It's huge. Beautiful painted guitars hang from conveyor belts that twist and turn like roller coaster tracks all around us. And after lacquer, comes buffing.

Patrick Hanson: "We're going to scuff sand it so it's smooth like glass."

Lia Mendez: The buffing wheel kind of looks like something I've seen at the automatic car wash. Touching the cloth, it feels more like a blanket than sandpaper. This is what will be used to polish the guitar to its final shine.

Finally, come the tuners, the strings and in some cases, electronics. And then the final step. Someone must play every single note that guitar can make to ensure it sounds correct and up to Gibson's standards. Each guitar then gets a final polish before being placed inside its case and being shipped to musicians and dealers all over the world.

Patrick Hanson: "To China, Japan, Europe, South America, Australia, you name it, we're sending it there."

Lia Mendez: "And it starts here in Montana."

Patrick Hanson: "Starts here in Bozeman."

Lia Mendez: "And right here in Bozeman. How cool.

Patrick Hanson: "Yeah, it's amazing. We have great pride in being a local Bozeman business."

Lia Mendez: "What are really amazing products to be a part of, and it's not just a product, right? You're helping make music."

Patrick Hanson: "Yeah, exactly. We're helping enhance people's lives.".

Lia Mendez: "Do your kids think that what you do for a living is pretty cool?".

Patrick Hanson: "They love it. They love it. They love it. I've been here for about 20 years. There's nothing I'd rather be doing."

Lia Mendez: "Are you a musical family?"

Patrick Hanson: "We are. We are. So, my oldest plays the piano. They tinker around on guitars all the time. We've got drum sets. We're always making noise."

Lia Mendez: "Awesome. Very cool."

Lia Mendez: After thanking Patrick for the tour, I met with the big boss, James Curleigh, or JC, the CEO of the entire Gibson company, which is headquartered in Nashville.

James Curleigh: "You know, I just get so excited when I when I come here and I see our craftsmen and craftswomen making the guitars. But then tonight, I'll be watching the Country Music Awards from Nashville, and most of them will choose to play a Gibson acoustic guitar. And I get to say, well, I was here watching them being made and all of a sudden being played. It's amazing."

Lia Mendez:   J.C. also told me about a program he's helped develop at Gibson, which mentors young musicians and helps supply them with the resources they need to pursue their dreams.

James Curleigh: "A few years ago, we started what we call the Gibson Generation Group, the G3, we call them. And it's, you know, it's kids anywhere from eight to probably about 14 years old who truly aspire to make music a part of their lives. In the old statement of "it takes a village," we want to be part of the village that can take that kid's dream and and try to put them on a path to make it come true."

Lia Mendez: To learn more about Gibson Generation Group, or G3, you can visit the website at G3.Gibson.com . There you'll find photos and bios of current G3 artists in the program and information on how you can apply to become one yourself.

J.C. credits his parents and a musical upbringing with teaching him the value of music at a young age and showing him the power it has to bring people together.

James Curleigh: "For starters, my dad was a Navy helicopter pilot. My mom was a free spirit from Nova Scotia, Canada. But their common bond, you'd say, 'well, how did that come together?' and it was music. And they loved festivals. My dad was a banjo player, my mom guitar player. Inevitably, when there's instruments around and as the evening would come, you know, come around after dinner and if friends were over, someone would pick something up and someone knew something we'd start playing. And so just growing up in that environment was amazing. And we have this family playlist that we all now know from my mother, who's now 85 years old, still plays her guitar right down to the youngest of the grandkids. And we we still play together."

Lia Mendez: And while running a guitar company can present a lot of challenges and opportunities, J.C. says he never forgets with the job is really all about.

James Curleigh: "As I said, when you when you watch someone actually pick up one of our guitars and play, whether they're famous or not famous, the smile and the sound and the tone, you say, yeah, it's all worth it."

Lia Mendez: This has been Lia for MTPR kids. Thank you for coming along with me on this field trip today to the Gibson Acoustic Craftery in Bozeman. I can't wait to see where we travel to next. If you've got ideas for places or people around Montana that you would like to see featured on our program, write to us at [email protected]. Until next time, friends, be well and take care.

Bozeman's Gibson acoustic guitar factory expands, grand opening

BOZEMAN — The Gibson acoustic guitar factory in Bozeman supplies guitars to artists like Slash, Jimmy Page, Luke Combs, and Sheryl Crow. The factory's recent expansion will provide around 100-200 new job opportunities.

“This factory is so big and there’s so many moving parts, there’s always something to learn,” says Jim Teffeteller who has worked at the Gibson acoustic factory for 11 years.

Teffeteller has been playing the guitar for about 20 years. It’s a hobby but also a part of his job.

"I play every single guitar that comes on my bench,” says Teffeteller. “I make sure all the components are correct on it and that it’s playing correctly.”

He then writes the warranty card and sends the guitar off to the shipping department. 

“I’m the very last person at the end of the line here,” says Teffeteller.

The product development manager at the factory, Don Ruffatto says building a Gibson quality guitar from scratch is quite the process.

“The average time to build our standard models takes about 13-15 working days,” says Ruffatto.

The process begins on the woodworking side of the facility. Employees sand the raw wood and assemble the body of the guitar.

“And then that goes into the painting processes, final assembly stringing up the guitars testing the guitars,” says Josh Taborski who is the facility director for the factory. 

This is what they call the ” finishing side” of the factory, which was a part of the facility expansion. The expansion more than doubled the size of the existing facility. 

The factory itself has been around since the late 80s. It was time to expand but J.C Curleigh, the CEO of Gibson Guitars says the pandemic put this idea on hold.

But not for long…

"We were actually shut down for a while but then something interesting happened,” says Curleigh. 

There was a huge surge in people wanting to buy Gibson guitars. 

"People had a little bit of time on their hands and they had a talent that they wanted to pursue,” says Curleigh. “And those that played actually wanted to play more."

Curleigh says this demand has remained steady since the height of the pandemic but that meant it was time for upgrades like the new finishing side, office spaces, and a showroom.

"All the famous artists who play Gibson want to come here so that’s why we set up this showroom for them to come to Bozeman to see and feel the craftsmanship,” says Curleigh.

But of course, high demand for guitars means double the need for people who make them.

“That’s why we’re investing in this factory and looking for Bozeman, and Montana and our team members to invest with us,” said Curleigh. “It’s really about the team. We’re all prouder to walk through these doors now than we’ve ever been.”

As for Teffeteller, he agrees.

“I learn something new here at this factory every single day,” said Teffeteller.

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Gibson Completes Massive Expansion of Acoustic Facility in Bozeman, Montana

Gibson celebrates with global leadership, montana business leaders, and gibson artisans at grand opening event.

BOZEMAN, MT (November 18, 2022) Gibson  is the  leading, iconic, handcrafted, American-made  guitar brand that has shaped the sounds of generations of musicians and music lovers, across genres for over 128 years. Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Nashville, with a premier acoustic craftory in  Bozeman, Montana, Gibson  continues a legacy of  world-class artisanship, legendary music partnership s, and  progressive product innovations  that are unrivaled among musical instrument companies.  Gibson  has been in major investment expansion mode and prioritizing the acoustic facility and its skilled artisans in Bozeman who create our world-renowned acoustic guitar collections. For more than a century,  Gibson  acoustics have been played by the most talented and influential music artists who continue to shape sound through modern music. 

In Bozeman, Montana,  Gibson carries on a tradition of acoustic instruments that dates back to the 1890’s . The world has changed, but this art has stayed much the same:  Gibson  acoustic guitars deliver a  clear, rich sound  from  carefully chosen tonewoods crafted to improve with age  and fit  each dovetail neck joint by hand . While production of  Gibson Acoustics  started in Kalamazoo, MI and moved to Nashville, TN for a period, Bozeman was identified as an ideal location for the new acoustic facility after  Gibson  purchased the  Montana-based Flatiron Mandolin  company in 1987. The relatively  stable and dry climate  in Bozeman is advantageous in building acoustic guitars, which can be greatly affected by swings in temperature and humidity. The early days in Montana marked the rebirth of  Gibson’s  flat-top guitars in the eyes and ears of artist, dealers, and fans. 

To meet the booming demand for guitars,  Gibson  invested in construction to  double the size of the acoustic craftory . With more machine shop and manufacturing space, expanded  Gibson Acoustic Custom Shop  capabilities, and a new  artist showroom , the modernized facility enables  Gibson  to increase production of its world renowned acoustic guitar models  (J-45 ,  Hummingbird ,  Dove, SJ-200 , and more) and expand innovative offerings such as the new  Gibson Generation Collection , without compromising on conditions of quality. 

“Gibson acoustic guitars have earned their iconic status over many generations and across many genres of music,” says  James ‘JC’ Curleigh (President and CEO of Gibson Brands).  “This iconic status has turned into exceptional demand over the past few years. We recognized that we had an opportunity and an obligation to find a way to make more guitars by expanding the legendary Gibson Acoustic Craftory right here in Bozeman, Montana. We are proud of the expansion and excited for the future.” 

Last week,  Gibson  opened the doors of its world-renowned acoustic guitar facility in Bozeman to celebrate the completion of a factory expansion which doubled the size of the facility which was originally built in 1988.  Gibson global leadership  and   the  local Gibson Bozeman teams  were on hand with local Montana business leaders and ambassadors, and our skilled artisans who create our world-renowned acoustic guitar collections to view the new craftory.  Gibso n is a preferred employer globally and with the massive expansion will be adding up to 100+ job opportunities and recruiting top talent on the local and national level.  Gibson Acoustic  in  Bozeman  currently employs 230 people. 

Following are photos from the  Gibson Acoustic  expansion celebration in Bozeman, MT, and a glimpse inside the craftory:

GIBSON.COM  |  TW  |  IG  |  FB  |  GIBSON APP  |  GIBSON GARAGE  |  GIBSON TV  

About Gibson:

Gibson , the leading iconic guitar brand, has shaped the sounds of generations of musicians and music lovers across genres for 128 years. Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Nashville,  Gibson Brands  has a legacy of world-class craftsmanship, legendary music partnerships, and progressive product evolution that is unrivaled among musical instrument companies. The  Gibson Brands  portfolio includes  Gibson , the leading guitar brand, as well as many of the most beloved and recognizable music brands, including  Epiphone , which has been on every stage since 1873,  Kramer , the original MADE TO ROCK HARD guitar brand,  MESA/Boogie ,  the home of tone, and  KRK , behind great music for over 30 years, and  Maestro , the founder of effect pedals.  Gibson Brands  is dedicated to quality, innovation, and sound excellence so that music lovers for generations to come will continue to experience music shaped by  Gibson Brands . Experience more at  Gibson.com  and on  Instagram ,  Twitter ,  Facebook ,  Gibson App ,  Gibson Garage , and  Gibson TV . 

For media enquiries regarding  Gibson , contact: 

PRIME PR GROUP, INC.

Libby Coffey

+1 626-676-4993

[email protected]

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Does the Gibson guitar factory in Bozeman give tours?

A quick search found this previous thread on Trip Advisor regarding your question.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g45095-i1336-k7555547-Gibson_Montana_Factory_Tours-Bozeman_Montana.html

>>>Gibson Montana Factory Tours

Jun 18, 2014, 5:52 PM

Previous T.A. thread on this topic is closed. Called 1-406-556-2100 to inquire about a Gibson Acoustic Factory tour today and Gibson no longer offers factory tours in Bozeman. Very disappointing.<<<

You could call them and ask if anything has changed since the above post was from 4 years ago, though someone posted "No tours at Gibson Guitars" on their facebook page a year ago (March 7, 2017) .

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gibson-Acoustic/271029256321213

The only way to get a tour is if you know a Gibson employee. Any employee is permitted to give a personal tour. I’ve done this twice, and the employee gets paid for the time he or she is giving the tour.

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity.

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Gibson to Celebrate Grand Opening of Newly Expanded Acoustic Facility in Bozeman

Gibson, the iconic American instrument brand is opening the doors of its storied Acoustic guitar facility in Bozeman, Montana for a special event and media are invited to join Gibson’s leadership James “JC” Curleigh (President and CEO, Gibson), Greg Gianforte (Governor of Montana), Anne Rohosy (Chief Human Resources and Transformation Officer, Gibson), Jeremy Freckleton (Chief Production Officer, Gibson), Josh Taborski (Gibson Acoustic, Facility Director), John Hannigan (Gibson Acoustic, Marketing Manager), Robi Johns (Gibson Acoustic, Head of Product Development), and Don Ruffatto (Gibson Acoustic, Product Development Manager).

WHY: Celebrate the Grand Opening of the newly expanded Gibson Acoustic craftory in Bozeman, Montana. The evening will celebrate the completion of the massive expansion to Gibson’s Acoustic facility in Bozeman. The new expansion has effectively doubled the size of the Gibson Acoustic factory, which was originally built in 1988. The 128-year-old brand has built a new Custom Shopin Bozeman, that will celebrate the history and legendary quality of Gibson’s handcrafted acoustic guitars created by our skilled artists in Bozeman.

Made in Bozeman, Montana, Gibson Acoustics are the pinnacle of hand-crafted quality, and sound excellence. Each instrument celebrates Gibson’s legacy through accuracy, authenticity, beauty, and attention to detail. Gibson is in major investment/expansion mode and prioritizing our acoustic facility and its artisans who create our world-renowned acoustic guitar collections. The expansion of the Gibson Acoustic facility will lead to new job opportunities and the recruitment of top talent on both the local and national level.

Media are invited to join Gibson leadership for the Grand Opening, special live event, photo opp, interviews, and a tour of Gibson Acoustic (1894 Orville Way, Bozeman, MT 59715), on Wednesday, November at 3:45pm.

WHEN: Wednesday, November 9

• 3:45pm VIP media preview Gibson to escort crews on a tour of new Gibson Acoustic Facility.
• 4:30pm Gibson Acoustic -Grand Opening Ceremony, with Greg Gianforte, Governor of Montana, and Gibson leadership team.
• 5:00-7:00pm Montana Ambassadors Reception Event and Fireside Chat.

WHERE: Gibson Acoustic, Bozeman, MT 1894 Orville Way, Bozeman, MT 59715

The post Gibson to Celebrate Grand Opening of Newly Expanded Acoustic Facility in Bozeman appeared first on Music Instrument News.

Source: musicinstrumentnews.co.uk

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BOZEMAN, MT (November 18, 2022) Gibson  is the  leading, iconic, handcrafted, American-made  guitar brand that has shaped the sounds of generations of musicians and music lovers, across genres for over 128 years. Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Nashville, with a premier acoustic craftory in  Bozeman, Montana, Gibson  continues a legacy of  world-class artisanship, legendary music partnership s, and  progressive product innovations  that are unrivaled among musical instrument companies.  Gibson  has been in major investment expansion mode and prioritizing the acoustic facility and its skilled artisans in Bozeman who create our world-renowned acoustic guitar collections. For more than a century,  Gibson  acoustics have been played by the most talented and influential music artists who continue to shape sound through modern music. 

In Bozeman, Montana,  Gibson carries on a tradition of acoustic instruments that dates back to the 1890’s . The world has changed, but this art has stayed much the same:  Gibson  acoustic guitars deliver a  clear, rich sound  from  carefully chosen tonewoods crafted to improve with age  and fit  each dovetail neck joint by hand . While production of  Gibson Acoustics  started in Kalamazoo, MI and moved to Nashville, TN for a period, Bozeman was identified as an ideal location for the new acoustic facility after  Gibson  purchased the  Montana-based Flatiron Mandolin  company in 1987. The relatively  stable and dry climate  in Bozeman is advantageous in building acoustic guitars, which can be greatly affected by swings in temperature and humidity. The early days in Montana marked the rebirth of  Gibson’s  flat-top guitars in the eyes and ears of artist, dealers, and fans. 

To meet the booming demand for guitars,  Gibson  invested in construction to  double the size of the acoustic craftory . With more machine shop and manufacturing space, expanded  Gibson Acoustic Custom Shop  capabilities, and a new  artist showroom , the modernized facility enables  Gibson  to increase production of its world renowned acoustic guitar models  (J-45 ,  Hummingbird ,  Dove, SJ-200 , and more) and expand innovative offerings such as the new  Gibson Generation Collection , without compromising on conditions of quality. 

“Gibson acoustic guitars have earned their iconic status over many generations and across many genres of music,” says  James ‘JC’ Curleigh (President and CEO of Gibson Brands).  “This iconic status has turned into exceptional demand over the past few years. We recognized that we had an opportunity and an obligation to find a way to make more guitars by expanding the legendary Gibson Acoustic Craftory right here in Bozeman, Montana. We are proud of the expansion and excited for the future.” 

Last week,  Gibson  opened the doors of its world-renowned acoustic guitar facility in Bozeman to celebrate the completion of a factory expansion which doubled the size of the facility which was originally built in 1988.  Gibson global leadership  and   the  local Gibson Bozeman teams  were on hand with local Montana business leaders and ambassadors, and our skilled artisans who create our world-renowned acoustic guitar collections to view the new craftory.  Gibso n is a preferred employer globally and with the massive expansion will be adding up to 100+ job opportunities and recruiting top talent on the local and national level.  Gibson Acoustic  in  Bozeman  currently employs 230 people. 

Following are photos from the  Gibson Acoustic  expansion celebration in Bozeman, MT, and a glimpse inside the craftory:

GIBSON.COM  |  TW  |  IG  |  FB  |  GIBSON APP  |  GIBSON GARAGE  |  GIBSON TV  

About Gibson:

Gibson , the leading iconic guitar brand, has shaped the sounds of generations of musicians and music lovers across genres for 128 years. Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Nashville,  Gibson Brands  has a legacy of world-class craftsmanship, legendary music partnerships, and progressive product evolution that is unrivaled among musical instrument companies. The  Gibson Brands  portfolio includes  Gibson , the leading guitar brand, as well as many of the most beloved and recognizable music brands, including  Epiphone , which has been on every stage since 1873,  Kramer , the original MADE TO ROCK HARD guitar brand,  MESA/Boogie ,  the home of tone, and  KRK , behind great music for over 30 years, and  Maestro , the founder of effect pedals.  Gibson Brands  is dedicated to quality, innovation, and sound excellence so that music lovers for generations to come will continue to experience music shaped by  Gibson Brands . Experience more at  Gibson.com  and on  Instagram ,  Twitter ,  Facebook ,  Gibson App ,  Gibson Garage , and  Gibson TV . 

For media enquiries regarding  Gibson , contact: 

PRIME PR GROUP, INC.

Libby Coffey

+1 626-676-4993

[email protected]

SIGN UP FOR EPIPHONE NEWS & SPECIAL OFFERS

Gibson Brands, Inc. respects your right to privacy. By submitting this form you are agreeing to the  Terms & Conditions  and  Privacy Policy .

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Gibson completes massive expansion of acoustic facility in bozeman, montana, gibson celebrates with global leadership, montana business leaders, and gibson artisans at grand opening event.

BOZEMAN, MT (November 18, 2022) Gibson  is the  leading, iconic, handcrafted, American-made  guitar brand that has shaped the sounds of generations of musicians and music lovers, across genres for over 128 years. Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Nashville, with a premier acoustic craftory in  Bozeman, Montana, Gibson  continues a legacy of  world-class artisanship, legendary music partnership s, and  progressive product innovations  that are unrivaled among musical instrument companies.  Gibson  has been in major investment expansion mode and prioritizing the acoustic facility and its skilled artisans in Bozeman who create our world-renowned acoustic guitar collections. For more than a century,  Gibson  acoustics have been played by the most talented and influential music artists who continue to shape sound through modern music. 

In Bozeman, Montana,  Gibson carries on a tradition of acoustic instruments that dates back to the 1890’s . The world has changed, but this art has stayed much the same:  Gibson  acoustic guitars deliver a  clear, rich sound  from  carefully chosen tonewoods crafted to improve with age  and fit  each dovetail neck joint by hand . While production of  Gibson Acoustics  started in Kalamazoo, MI and moved to Nashville, TN for a period, Bozeman was identified as an ideal location for the new acoustic facility after  Gibson  purchased the  Montana-based Flatiron Mandolin  company in 1987. The relatively  stable and dry climate  in Bozeman is advantageous in building acoustic guitars, which can be greatly affected by swings in temperature and humidity. The early days in Montana marked the rebirth of  Gibson’s  flat-top guitars in the eyes and ears of artist, dealers, and fans. 

To meet the booming demand for guitars,  Gibson  invested in construction to  double the size of the acoustic craftory . With more machine shop and manufacturing space, expanded  Gibson Acoustic Custom Shop  capabilities, and a new  artist showroom , the modernized facility enables  Gibson  to increase production of its world renowned acoustic guitar models  (J-45 ,  Hummingbird ,  Dove, SJ-200 , and more) and expand innovative offerings such as the new  Gibson Generation Collection , without compromising on conditions of quality. 

“Gibson acoustic guitars have earned their iconic status over many generations and across many genres of music,” says  James ‘JC’ Curleigh (President and CEO of Gibson Brands).  “This iconic status has turned into exceptional demand over the past few years. We recognized that we had an opportunity and an obligation to find a way to make more guitars by expanding the legendary Gibson Acoustic Craftory right here in Bozeman, Montana. We are proud of the expansion and excited for the future.” 

Last week,  Gibson  opened the doors of its world-renowned acoustic guitar facility in Bozeman to celebrate the completion of a factory expansion which doubled the size of the facility which was originally built in 1988.  Gibson global leadership  and   the  local Gibson Bozeman teams  were on hand with local Montana business leaders and ambassadors, and our skilled artisans who create our world-renowned acoustic guitar collections to view the new craftory.  Gibso n is a preferred employer globally and with the massive expansion will be adding up to 100+ job opportunities and recruiting top talent on the local and national level.  Gibson Acoustic  in  Bozeman  currently employs 230 people. 

Following are photos from the  Gibson Acoustic  expansion celebration in Bozeman, MT, and a glimpse inside the craftory:

GIBSON.COM  |  TW  |  IG  |  FB  |  GIBSON APP  |  GIBSON GARAGE  |  GIBSON TV  

About Gibson:

Gibson , the leading iconic guitar brand, has shaped the sounds of generations of musicians and music lovers across genres for 128 years. Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Nashville,  Gibson Brands  has a legacy of world-class craftsmanship, legendary music partnerships, and progressive product evolution that is unrivaled among musical instrument companies. The  Gibson Brands  portfolio includes  Gibson , the leading guitar brand, as well as many of the most beloved and recognizable music brands, including  Epiphone , which has been on every stage since 1873,  Kramer , the original MADE TO ROCK HARD guitar brand,  MESA/Boogie ,  the home of tone, and  KRK , behind great music for over 30 years, and  Maestro , the founder of effect pedals.  Gibson Brands  is dedicated to quality, innovation, and sound excellence so that music lovers for generations to come will continue to experience music shaped by  Gibson Brands . Experience more at  Gibson.com  and on  Instagram ,  Twitter ,  Facebook ,  Gibson App ,  Gibson Garage , and  Gibson TV . 

For media enquiries regarding  Gibson , contact: 

PRIME PR GROUP, INC.

Libby Coffey

+1 626-676-4993

[email protected]

SIGN UP FOR NEWS & OFFERS

By submitting this form, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy .

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Customer Support (US & Canada): 1-800-4GIBSON

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Copyright © 2024 Gibson Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Gibson to Expand Bozeman, Montana Factory Amid Increased Demand

Gibson's acoustic HQ will more than double in size, and receive a new office space, showroom, day care, and reception area.

Over the past year – in large part due to folks being stuck at home much more than usual due to the COVID-19 pandemic – just about every major guitar manufacturer reported massive increases in sales.

Gibson's acoustic division was no exception to this boom, and as a result, the company has announced a massive expansion of its Bozeman, Montana factory to help meet the increased demand.

First reported by the Bozeman Daily Chronicle , the expansion will more than double the size of the factory – from 23,000 square feet to 48,000 square feet. A 10,000 square foot combination office space, showroom, day care, and reception area will also be added to the facility.

At a groundbreaking ceremony at the factory last Wednesday, March 3, Gibson CEO James "JC" Curleigh said that in six months Gibson's Bozeman factory will be “the most amazing guitar facility in the world.

“When you get pride and you get expansion and you get growth, good things tend to happen.”

Gibson's Bozeman team has created some truly fantastic instruments in recent times – both traditional and ornate – so we're excited to see what the expanded facility (and, we assume, expanded team) will produce in the coming months.

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Jackson is an Associate Editor at GuitarWorld.com and GuitarPlayer.com. He’s been writing and editing stories about new gear, technique and guitar-driven music both old and new since 2014, and has also written extensively on the same topics for Guitar Player . Elsewhere, his album reviews and essays have appeared in Louder and Unrecorded . Though open to music of all kinds, his greatest love has always been indie, and everything that falls under its massive umbrella. To that end, you can find him on Twitter crowing about whatever great new guitar band you need to drop everything to hear right now.

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The Gibson Acoustic factory will add a custom shop and showroom while doubling its manufacturing space.

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Gibson will be expanding its factory in Bozeman, Montana following an increased demand for guitars amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The expansion of the Gibson Acoustic factory will double its manufacturing space, as well as add a new custom shop and showroom. According to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle , the facility will grow by 25,000 square feet to 48,000 square feet. Construction is expected to be completed in a year.

Gibson executives announced the plans at a ceremony last week (3 March). Gibson CMO Cesar Gueikian explained that the added space will lead to increased production and allow the brand to grow its Acoustic Custom Shop Historic and Modern collections. The expansion could also create 100 to 200 jobs.

James “JC” Curleigh, President and CEO of Gibson Brands, Inc., said that the onset of the pandemic last spring initially raised “more questions than answers” for the company.

“We were facing a factory shutdown with a pandemic that we didn’t really see coming,” he told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle . “We had guitar dealers that were closed that weren’t selling guitars.”

According to Curleigh, customers began buying guitars again by summer 2020 following the issuance of stay-at-home orders, which may have led to more time for people to embark on creative endeavours.

Curleigh’s recent comments echo those he made back in September 2020: “First we were figuring out the basic essentials – where to buy toilet paper, making sure you were isolated in quarantine,” he told the New York Times . “Then the psychological reset hit. People said, ‘Well, I can still self-actualise, I can still self-fulfil.’”

By late summer 2020, Gibson “literally couldn’t deliver enough [guitars]”, Curleigh added. “Everything we were making, we could sell.”

Yesterday (9 March), Gibson announced the first guitars from its Murphy Lab, a division of the Gibson Custom Shop led by guitar-ageing specialist Tom Murphy. The Murphy Lab Collection is described as a “greatest hits album” of Custom Shop reissues .

For more industry news, click here .

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article stated the factory space will expand to 25,000 square foot. This is incorrect. The factory will expand by  25,000 square foot. The article has been amended.

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Gibson Completes Massive Expansion of Acoustic Facility in Bozeman, MT; Demand-Driven Expansion Doubles the Size of Machine Shop and Acoustic Factory

• November 21, 2022
• International Music News
• by Mark Horan Publisher/Photographer

Gibson Completes Massive Expansion of Acoustic Facility in Bozeman, Montana

Celebrates with Gibson Global Leadership, Montana Business Leaders, and Gibson Artisans at

Grand Opening Event

Demand-Driven Expansion Doubles the Size of Machine Shop and Acoustic Factory

Above: the Gibson Acoustic team in Bozeman, MT.

Gibson Acoustic Craftory Expansion Celebration photos (credit Gibson): HERE .

Gibson Acoustic, Broll: HERE .

Explore all Gibson Acoustic guitars, HERE .

The original. Aspirational, Authentic. Handmade in the USA since 1894 with the original techniques pioneered by Orville Gibson.

Made in Bozeman, MT, Gibson Acoustics are the pinnacle of hand-crafted quality, and sound excellence. Each instrument celebrates Gibson’s legacy through accuracy, authenticity, beauty, and attention to detail.

BOZEMAN, MT (November 18, 2022) Gibson is the leading, iconic, handcrafted, American-made guitar brand that has shaped the sounds of generations of musicians and music lovers, across genres for over 128 years. Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Nashville, with a premier acoustic craftory in Bozeman, Montana, Gibson continues a legacy of world-class artisanship, legendary music partnerships, and progressive product innovations that are unrivaled among musical instrument companies. Gibson has been in major investment expansion mode and prioritizing the acoustic facility and its skilled artisans in Bozeman who create our world-renowned acoustic guitar collections. For more than a century, Gibson acoustics have been played by the most talented and influential music artists who continue to shape sound through modern music.

In Bozeman, Montana, Gibson carries on a tradition of acoustic instruments that dates back to the 1890’s. The world has changed, but this art has stayed much the same: Gibson acoustic guitars deliver a clear, rich sound from carefully chosen tonewoods crafted to improve with age and fit each dovetail neck joint by hand. While production of Gibson Acoustics started in Kalamazoo, MI and moved to Nashville, TN for a period, Bozeman was identified as an ideal location for the new acoustic facility after Gibson purchased the Montana-based Flatiron Mandolin company in 1987. The relatively stable and dry climate in Bozeman is advantageous in building acoustic guitars, which can be greatly affected by swings in temperature and humidity. The early days in Montana marked the rebirth of Gibson’s flat-top guitars in the eyes and ears of artist, dealers, and fans.

To meet the booming demand for guitars, Gibson invested in construction to double the size of the acoustic craftory. With more machine shop and manufacturing space, expanded Gibson Acoustic Custom Shop capabilities, and a new artist showroom, the modernized facility enables Gibson to increase production of its world renowned acoustic guitar models (J-45, Hummingbird, Dove, SJ-200, and more) and expand innovative offerings such as the new Gibson Generation Collection, without compromising on conditions of quality.

“Gibson acoustic guitars have earned their iconic status over many generations and across many genres of music,” says James ‘JC’ Curleigh (President and CEO of Gibson Brands). “This iconic status has turned into exceptional demand over the past few years. We recognized that we had an opportunity and an obligation to find a way to make more guitars by expanding the legendary Gibson Acoustic Craftory right here in Bozeman, Montana. We are proud of the expansion and excited for the future.”

Last week, Gibson opened the doors of its world-renowned acoustic guitar facility in Bozeman to celebrate the completion of a factory expansion which doubled the size of the facility which was originally built in 1988. Gibson global leadership and the local Gibson Bozeman teams were on hand with local Montana business leaders and ambassadors, and our skilled artisans who create our world-renowned acoustic guitar collections to view the new craftory. Gibson is a preferred employer globally and with the massive expansion will be adding up to 100+ job opportunities and recruiting top talent on the local and national level. Gibson Acoustic in Bozeman currently employs 230 people.

Following are photos from the Gibson Acoustic expansion celebration in Bozeman, MT, and a glimpse inside the craftory:

Above: the Gibson team cut the ribbon to open the newly expanded Gibson Acoustic factory in Bozeman.

Gibson Bozeman team.

Above: (L-R, back row) Richard Walbe (Training Coordinator), Adam Dieckman (Materials Manager), Tiffaney Loomis (Shipping Manager), Colin Beck (Engineering Manager), Patrick Hansen (QC Manager), Nick Codding (Production Manager) and (L-R, front row) Margaret Hawthorne (Human Resource Business Partner), Josh Taborski (Facility Director), and Jackie O’Reilly (Controller).

Above (L-R): Anne Rohosy (Chief Human Resources and Impact Officer, Gibson Brands), James “JC” Curleigh (President and CEO, Gibson Brands) and Jeremy Freckleton (Chief Production Officer, Gibson Brands).

Gibson leadership and Montana Ambassadors Association.

Above: (back row L-R) Anne Rohosy (Chief Human Resources and Impact Officer, Gibson Brands), and Montana Ambassadors Brian Arthur, Tyler Delaney, and James Thompson, James “JC” Curleigh (President and CEO, Gibson Brands) and Jeremy Freckleton (Chief Production Officer, Gibson Brands), (front row L-R) Montana Ambassadors Jami Lorenz, Suzi Berget White, and Angela Mcgrath.

Above: (L-R) Thad Beaty (Sugarland), Gibson ambassador Amanda Stewart, and Annie Clements (Maren Morris) performed for guests during the Gibson expansion grand opening.

Above: Gibson acoustic guitars in the binding process.

Above: A Gibson SJ-200 in Rosewood Burst makes its way through final set up.

Above: a Gibson SJ-200 receives a Rosewood Burst finish.

Above: Gibson Acoustic factory finishing area.

Above: an artisan neck fits a J-45 Deluxe Rosewood.

About Gibson:

Gibson, the leading iconic guitar brand, has shaped the sounds of generations of musicians and music lovers across genres for 128 years. Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Nashville, Gibson Brands has a legacy of world-class craftsmanship, legendary music partnerships, and progressive product evolution that is unrivaled among musical instrument companies. The Gibson Brands portfolio includes Gibson, the leading guitar brand, as well as many of the most beloved and recognizable music brands, including Epiphone , which has been on every stage since 1873, Kramer , the original MADE TO ROCK HARD guitar brand, MESA/Boogie , the home of tone, and KRK , behind great music for over 30 years, and Maestro , the founder of effect pedals. Gibson Brands is dedicated to quality, innovation, and sound excellence so that music lovers for generations to come will continue to experience music shaped by Gibson Brands.

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Photographer and Editor/Founder of AllMusicMagazine.com. My love of live music has taken me to incredible experiences with the top bands of all time in stadium shows to the smallest venues with equally inspiring musicians. Using the medium of photography and my publication, these memories will last forever.

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